Comal Emergency Management and Emergency Operations

The emergency management program for each Texas County is mandated
under Texas Government Code 481.02, requiring that counties identify and
address potential hazards and associated responses to specific events.
The Texas Government Code allows for a county to develop a program or to
participate in an inter-jurisdictional program with a local city.

If you received flood damage to your residence or business on October the 29th/30th
and live in the unincorporated part of Comal County or the city of
Bulverde or Garden Ridge or New Braunfels, please register with FEMA at
www.disasterassistance.gov.

Responsibilities:

The scope of this discussion will focus on the general responsibilities of the Comal County Emergency Management program and the associated Hazard Mitigation.

In Comal County, the goals of emergency management:

Identify potential threats to the community through a hazard’s assessment survey. The assessment is used to prioritize threats and identify responses through the
County Emergency Operations Plan (Plan). Specific hazards are discussed in Annexes attached to the plan. These Annexes are then reviewed annually.
The Plan and Annexes include specifics to the mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery from disasters most likely to affect the county.
Local police, fire, public works, and other county resources then routinely practice these documented response scenarios

Develop coordinated responses and agreements with private and volunteer agencies, keep updated lists of resources, and assign roles for
various groups to assist the County during emergency events. The EMC also develops hazardous material inventory (Tier II) as well as coordinates
and interfaces with operational response plans with other governmental agencies, volunteer groups, industry, and health organizations

Develop, coordinate, and conduct County training exercises, assist with exercises developed by industry and volunteer organizations,
participate and conduct routine training for Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff, and coordinate specialized training for County resources such as first responders

Prepare and maintain a departmental budget for maintenance of departmental equipment and submit training milestones for Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds as well as obtain and administer emergency management and homeland security grants

Oversee the operational capability of the EOC, upgrade and equip the EOC as necessary to ensure operational function, plus activate and maintain emergency warning system

Activate the EOC as needed and support response efforts in the field and warn the community when a threat is identified

Conduct public outreach to provide warning materials and announcements; brief the radio, television, and newspaper
entities on emergency matters; and present information to civic organizations, schools, churches, and community centers
Inform the county judge and governing body of the jurisdiction regarding the preparedness status and emergency management needs

Hazards Mitigation:

Hazards may be natural or manmade, most commonly consisting of threats such as severe weather events, wildfires, and acts of terrorism.
Naturally occurring hazards such as flooding and wildfire are the events most likely to occur. Terroristic activities, although relatively
new to the United States, are more spontaneous than seasonal threats and more difficult to anticipate.

Hazard mitigation planning is what emergency planners use to identify potential threats to a county or local community and apply resources or
coordinate efforts to address those issues. A few of the current mitigation plans identified for Comal County include receiving and housing coastal
communities evacuating from Gulf Coast hurricanes, evacuation and rescue of flood victims from local severe weather events, and wildfire
events occurring in rural portions of the county.